begin again
by littleblackbirds
Summary: Reincarnation!OC. "You take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, and you find out who they really are." Being reborn honestly wasn't all that bad until she's sent to summer camp along with too many familiar faces, and gets sucked into an all too familiar world along with them.
1. Chapter 1

**disclaimer: i own nothing but the things you don't recognize.**

 **enjoy.**

* * *

 **begin again**

 _opening_

 _ **Entry 01 - 10 May**_

 _Sometimes I think I'm crazy._

 _If anyone ever finds this—or reads this, whatever, maybe they can help me decide if I'm insane or not because at this point I honestly don't know anymore._

 _Maybe I should just start by… explaining, I guess? God, how the hell do you explain something like this? Uh, well, for starters, I'm not Airi Yamada— I mean, I am, sort of, but not… entirely? Ugh, I'm not making any sense— Uh, okay, let me try and clear that up. Y'see I have these… memories, I suppose, from_ another _life._

 _Did that make it easier? Even a little bit?_ _ **Shit.**_

 _It's like this: I wasn't always Airi Yamada, I was someone else— I won't bother explaining who I was because, well, it doesn't really matter anymore because that person— she, me, whatever — is dead._

 _Physically, I mean._

 _I'm still here, uh,_ mentally _anyhow and I guess 'soul'-ly too? God, this is giving me a headache._

 _Look._

 _I died, okay. And whether you believe that or not is, well, it doesn't really matter what you think because I_ _ **know**_ _that to be true (but if you really want to, hey, call me crazy). I don't know what happened, I don't know why I'm here, I don't know why I remember dying, I don't know how—_

 _..._

 _I just do. I just am._

 _And I feel like I'm going crazy not_ |

 **(...)**

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[ **Document deleted.** ]

 **|xxx|**

chapter one

Airi Yamada made a face at her mother, nose scrunched up in disdain, and stood up from the kitchen table, empty bowl in hand. "Summer camp?" she parroted, setting her dirty dishes in the sink before turning to her mom with crossed arms. " _Why_ would I go to summer camp?"

Masami Yamada bustled back and forth across the small apartment, re-adjusting her work scrub and pulling her hair up in a tight ponytail. Airi was used to watching her run around like a headless chicken before she left for the hospital, it was practically a daily ritual by now. She met her mom by the door, waiting until the woman was done putting on her shoes before handing over her work bag.

Masami let out a huff, finally able to catch her breath, and turned to her daughter, taking the bag and throwing it over her shoulder. "Because you need to make friends," she said and, though her tone sounded playful, Airi knew she was being serious.

The girl bristled, "I have friends—"

"—that aren't all the way back in America," Masami finished with a pointed look. Airi crossed her arms again and leant against the wall, scowling. "We've been here, what, four months and you still haven't made any friends?"

"It's the middle of the school year," Airi retorted with narrowed eyes, "What do you expect—"

Masami cut her off. "I expect you to _try_ and make friends, Airi. Four months in, and not a word about the other kids in your class? Who they are, or what they're like? You can't just come straight home from school and then stay indoors all day long."

"But—"

"Airi." Airi's mouth shut immediately, but the angry scowl was still on her face. Masami sighed and ruffled her daughter's dark hair, and gave her a sympathetic smile. "I know you're not great at making friends, but this is an opportunity to _try_ and make some. I'm not asking you to befriend the whole camp, or the school, just _one_ friend is enough. Alright?"

Airi scuffed her foot against the ground and sighed, "...Fine."

Masami smiled and pressed a kiss at the crown of Airi's head. "Thank you. I promise you, it won't be as bad as you think."

Airi watched her mother leave, frown still etched on her face, and headed for her room, booting up her computer.

 _We'll see about that._

 **|xxx|**

Airi rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly, the straps of her small backpack digging into her shoulders, and scanned the area with a scowl. Children were running rampant, screaming with laughter as they hugged their friends. Despite being physically eleven, Airi felt the most out of place than she'd ever been; she was twice the age of these rugrats, _and_ she had to spend her summer with them. It was bad enough she had to spend a whole day with them six days a week, but now she had to be stuck with them ( _sleep_ in the same vicinity as them _)_ twenty-four seven?

Someone save her.

Airi let out a quiet snort and followed after the crowd of kids, grip tightening on both her bags. She was tense as they walked towards the tents, feeling somewhat caged between the happy chatter and close contact. She was never one for being in large crowds, never liking how close she had to stand or sit next to another person. Even in her first life she had hated these types of situations—it was one of the main reasons she _didn't_ want to go.

But of course her mother had to pay for the trip before even mentioning it to her, _just_ so she couldn't back out.

 _Lousy old woman_.

After the boys and girls were separated to go to their appropriate tents, it was practically a madhouse (on the girl's side at least). High-pitched squeals and laughter burst from all the females in the area as they raced to procure a bunk for themselves and their friends. Airi grimaced and trudged through large bags, sweaty bodies, and running children. She kept her eyes open for a spot, until her eyes landed on the free space next to a girl with a large pink hat.

Making her way over, Airi assessed the girl to make sure she wasn't too terrible to be next to for the next few weeks (but one quick look over everything else told her she wouldn't be finding another open space anytime soon). Aside from the hat, Airi could tell that this girl wasn't really an outdoorsy kind of girl—she was wearing a dress for crying out loud!—but that was just another notch on her "Make a Friend" checklist.

Clearing her throat, Airi stopped next to the free bunk, placing her duffle bag by her feet. The girl in question turned, surprised, before smiling at her. She was pretty, Airi thought and immediately knew she'd grow up to be a beauty. Something about the girl seemed vaguely familiar too, but she couldn't quite place what it was.

Airi gestured to the open cot with her knee, "S'it okay if I take this spot?" She wouldn't be surprised if the girl was saving it for a friend, judging by how the others reacted.

"Not at all," she replied, still smiling. Her voice was very airy and light, but cheerful nonetheless. Her eyes darted down for a second, and her smile widened just a fraction. "Hey, we match!"

Airi paused in her attempt to shove her duffle bag underneath the cot and looked at the girl. "What?" she asked with furrowed brows. The girl pointed at her abdomen, and Airi's eyes followed her finger down to her chest.

"Your sweater, silly! We're both wearing red!"

Airi tugged at her red zip-up, left open and sleeves pulled up to her elbows because of the summer air, and looked back at the girl. She blinked and replied with an arched brow and a tiny smirk, "So we are. I'm Airi—Airi Yamada."

"I'm Mimi Tachikawa—"

And suddenly the memory of this girl came flooding back, and Airi paled. Images of waking up to watch a morning cartoon of seven—no, eight children and their strange creature-like friends hit her like a freight train. This kid, Mimi _fucking_ Tachikawa, wasn't supposed to exist. She was a character, a _cartoon_ , made of pencil and ink. How was she here?

 _How was she alive?_

Airi's mind froze at that; couldn't the same thing be said about _her?_ She fucking _died_ and is still alive to tell the tale; she was born into a different family, a different ethnicity— _Hell,_ she was reborn into a world that was fictional; what was so strange that a person _from that same fictional world_ existed?

She was about to dwell more on her existential crisis when a hesitant hand rested on her arm. Eyes darting up to see the concerned look plastered on Mimi's face, Airi realized she must have fallen back onto the cot.

She shook her head to clear away those thoughts for another time and stuttered out, "I- sorry, what'd you say?"

Mimi was frowning as she slowly removed her hand. "I asked if this was your first time at a summer camp," she said slowly, then quickly added, "Are you alright? Do you need me to get one of the counsellors?"

Airi waved a dismissive hand. "No no, I'm fine. I didn't mean to, y'know,do that."

Concern fell away from the brunette's face, though there was still a hint of it in her eyes, and she placed her hands on her hips. "You looked like you were ready to faint." Mimi paused then tilted her head. "You still do, actually."

Airi rolled her eyes and stood up, ignoring the wave of dizziness that fell over her. " _Thanks_ , Mimi." She readjusted her backpack and ran a hand through her hair.

Mimi grinned, "No problem!"

Airi studied the tent and noted that most of the girls had already left to join some of activity. "So, want to explore the camp?"

She nodded and started to dig into one of her bags. "Okay, but let me put on some sunscreen first."

Airi plopped back down onto her cot, chin resting in her palm as she waited for Mimi to finish smoothing out the lotion over her exposed skin. She resisted the urge to sigh.

 _This is going to be a long six weeks._

 **|xxx|**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: More at the end!**

 **disclaimer: i own nothing, and am too poor to own anything of value.**

 **enjoy.**

* * *

 **begin again**

chapter two

Two weeks had passed since camp started, and Airi and Mimi had gotten to know each other better as they stuck close together whenever camp activities were being held. Airi wondered why the girl had chosen _her_ to hang out with though; there were a lot of girls with the same bubbly personality as Mimi at the camp, so why'd she choose the one that was the complete opposite? They did get along pretty well, however, and even if sometimes Mimi's somewhat shallow attitude grated her nerves, Airi knew that deep down she's was kindhearted.

Between the two of them, Mimi was definitely the more approachable one and was always ready to make new friends—which was how she met goddamn Taichi Kamiya. Airi was on her way to meet up with Mimi for lunch when she found her talking animatedly with a puff of brown hair. Even without seeing his face, Airi would recognize that ridiculous hairstyle anywhere.

She strolled over casually, nodding her head in greeting when she caught Mimi's eye, and watched as the two turned to her. It was one thing to see Mimi in person, but it was completely surreal seeing Tai. He was watching her curiously, half-heartedly listening to Mimi's chatter.

"Oh! Tai, this is Airi," Mimi introduced, "Airi, this is Tai Kamiya. He helped me with my hat."

Airi arched a brow, "Your hat?"

"It was trying to get away from her," Tai said with a teasing grin, and with a sly look towards the other girl, "Maybe it's trying to tell you something, Mimi."

She glared at the boy, hands on her hips, and Airi winced, knowing what was to come. _No one_ messed with Mimi's fashion sense. "Like you're one to talk with that hair of yours—it's an absolute mess! Do you even brush it?"

Tai recoiled, and raised his hands to placate the angry girl. "Hey now, don't diss the hair!"

"Hmph!" Mimi turned on her heel and stomped off, leaving the Tai and Airi standing in her wake.

"Sheesh, I was just kidding," Tai muttered as he ruffled his hair. "Learn to take a joke once in awhile."

Airi glanced at him out of the corner of her eye, then at Mimi's retreating back. "Don't worry about it, Kamiya," she said reassuringly, "Mimi'll get over it eventually. Though I'd advise you to stay clear of her for now unless you plan to apologize."

"Apologize? For what?!" Tai balked and she shrugged carelessly.

"I'm not saying you _have_ to apologize, but Mimi won't talk to you unless you do," she informed, "Or you could just wait it out, but she's pretty stubborn so you'll probably have to wait awhile."

Tai frowned then looked over at the direction Mimi disappeared to. They stood in silence until he finally let out a long sigh. "Aww man, I can't believe I'm doing this. Why are girls so weird? Ah! No offense—!"

She scoffed, "None taken, Kamiya, I know how difficult Mimi can be sometimes. Good luck, though."

"Thanks, Airi." He grinned then raced off, yelling, "Hey Mimi! Wait up!"

Airi watched him chase after her friend _(were they friends? Airi was never good at discerning those types of things)._ It was definitely strange seeing these characters up close and in person—she really didn't know what to expect when she saw Tai's hair for the first time. He was still adorable, to say the least. Out of all the characters, Tai was hands down the one she had a crush on growing up.

Even if he was a complete dork.

She shoved her hands into her pockets and walked off towards the cafeteria, hoping to pilfer a few snacks she'd grown fond of during her time here. Of course, she had snacks in the duffle bag under her bed, but she was saving those for when she had midnight cravings and wasn't allowed to leave the tent. Gazing around the camp nowadays was odd—without everyone being herded in giant groups, the place actually seemed bigger. Her eyes caught sight of a little blond boy in a green hat running past her, an older blond chasing after him.

"T.K., slow down!"

T.K. shouted over his shoulder, "Come _on,_ Matt! The canoe races are gonna start soon!" With that said, he charged towards the dock with renewed energy.

"T.K.!"

Airi blinked before continuing on with her hunt for sweets, feeling somewhat sorry for Matt. As cute as T.K. was, he was certainly a handful at this age.

 _Poor guy, but at least T.K. isn't as bad as that one chick in the second season._

 **|xxx|**

Airi trudged out of the cafeteria with a frown, empty handed. One of the camp counselors had been keeping an eye on the place, and immediately kicked her out. She'd tried to weasel her way back in, but he'd shaken his head and pushed her out again along with a stern warning.

She was on her way back to their tent when the sky caught her attention. Descending slowly in front of her face was… _snow?_ Airi blinked a couple times to make sure she wasn't seeing things then lifted her head to the sky, eyes widening as she saw more snowflakes fall.

"Wha…?"

The shock didn't last long.

Her face paled and she cursed to hell and back as she broke off into a sprint. She _knew_ that this would happen, but she didn't think it would happen so soon! The wind had started to pick up, the drifting snow quickly turning into a full-blown blizzard, and Airi dove for the nearest shelter as terrified screams erupted around her.

Hands resting on her knees, Airi tried to catch her breath and glanced up to see who else was in the cabin with her.

"Airi!"

Her eyes immediately locked onto the giant pink hat and before she had time to register what was happening, Mimi's arms were wrapped around her shoulders like a boa. For a scrawny girl, Mimi was surprisingly strong. Airi shoulders sagged as she patted her friend's back, half-heartedly listening to her worried chatter, and took this time to look around the room.

There wasn't a lot of people, just seven anxious children who had no idea what was in store for them. They were all talking amongst themselves, worried frowns on most of their faces. She noticed no camp counselor made it into this cabin, but brushed that aside for now so she could ease Mimi's frantic state.

"Mimi?" she said carefully, and the girl in question pulled back, tears in the corners of her eyes. "Everything's gonna be fine." When the look on her face didn't disappear, Airi pressed on, "The snow will blow over soon enough—trust me on this, alright?"

There was a beat of silence, then Mimi nodded and quickly wiped her face. Then she pouted, "If I'd known it was going to snow, I'd have brought my pink snow boots."

Airi rolled her eyes, lips twitching into a tiny smile, but said nothing as they moved away from the door and towards an open spot on the floor to sit. She listened to Mimi's ramblings about how she and her family normally spent their winters, and pulled her sweatshirt closer.

Thankfully they didn't have to wait long, the wind stopped howling and everyone raised their heads at the sudden silence.

"Is it over?" T.K. asked. He didn't sound scared, she noted amused, but he was definitely curious.

"Let's find out."

Tai pushed the door open and gasped, and from where Airi sat she could see a large smile spread across his face before he sprinted outside. Without him blocking the door, everyone could see what he what made him have that kind of reaction: _snow._ It covered everything from the trees to entire camp, glistening in the sunlight. All of them stood, mouth open in awe, unsure of what to do.

T.K. was the first to move, grinning widely as he raced out the door. "I'm gonna make the biggest snowman ever!" he shouted with Matt quickly chased after him once again.

"Slow down, T.K.!"

Sora Takenouchi followed after them, hands coming up to rub her bare arms. "It's freezing!" she shivered, stepping out into the snow, and the rest followed—Joe Kido, quickly followed by beaming Mimi, who tugged on Airi's arm. She shook off Mimi's grip, pausing at the door to look over at the only person left inside.

"Aren't you coming?" Airi asked and Koushiro Izumi glanced over, frowning.

He sighed and replied, "This storm is messing with my internet connection." Though, to Airi, it sounded like he was talking more to himself rather than her. She cocked her head to the side, and arched a brow.

"It's snowing in the middle of summer and you're worried about your internet?" she questioned. He turned to glare at Airi over his shoulder, but she had already left knowing he'd follow later. It didn't take long for her to spot the others. They were standing together and looking up at the sky, mouths agape. She headed over, eyes following their line of vision to see—

"Whoa…" Despite knowing that it would snow, she didn't remember every little detail about what happened in the show. So when she saw the aurora dancing across the sky, she was most definitely speechless. "Is that…?"

"An aurora?" Sora finished. "It definitely looks like it."

"You mean the Northern Lights?" Airi didn't have to turn around to know that Izzy had joined them. "It can't be, you can only see them in Alaska." But from the tone of his voice, even he didn't sound entirely sure.

"Maybe we should go back inside," Joe Kido suggested, "before we catch a cold, o-or worse!"

Matt arched a brow. "And miss this?" he asked, turning back to the aurora, then added, "It's like the sky is short-circuiting or something!"

Mimi tilted her head. "Do you think we need sunscreen?"

Something moving behind the aurora caught Airi's eye and she squinted to get a better view. The clouds behind the aurora had turned green and was now swirling into a vortex. Airi felt the blood drain from my face. _Holy shit._ Before she could voice her thoughts, the center of the vortex flashed and eight fireballs shot out—

— _heading straight for them!_

"Hit the deck!"

They ducked out of the way, but it wasn't enough. Snow exploded everywhere as the meteors hit the ground at their feet, blinding them until they were hidden in a complete cloud of snow.

"Is everyone okay?!" Sora called out, brushing snow off her arms. Airi lifted her head with a groan and flicked snow off her sweater, then scanned over everyone to make sure no one was hurt.

"Well, we're still here," Matt answered, arm wrapped around protectively over T.K.

Mimi let out a shaky breath, hands tightly gripping the rim of her hat. "T-that was scary."

"What in the world was that?!" Joe demanded, and Izzy peered over one of the holes in the ground.

"Meteors, maybe?" he offered. The holes in the ground started glow and a small device floated out. "Okay, so they're _not_ meteors."

Airi grabbed the one that floated toward her face, and looked it over in her hands. It was small and white, there were a couple of dark blue buttons on the side, and had a small antenna sticking out at the top. There was even a small screen in the middle. It reminded her of one of those Tamagotchi toys.

She made to hand it off to someone else, and her face paled when she noticed everyone already had one in their possession. She quickly turned back to hers, mind in a frenzy. _Oh, fuck no._

Sora's face was scrunched in confusion as she held her own device. "What are these things?"

Izzy 'hmm'ed and placed a hand under his chin. "My guess would be some type of digital remote apparatus."

"A remote for _what,_ though?"

The sound of rushing water reached her ears, and Airi looked up, stomach immediately dropping. There wasn't any time to scream or run away before the giant wall of water crashed over them, dragging all eight of them down the rabbit hole to hell.

* * *

 **A/N: So before any of you send me messages about** _the story starts_ , **I** **have not forgotten it and I am working on it.**

 **This story was actually written over 2 years ago, and has been sitting in my documents ever since. I was clearing out my story folder and while re-reading this one, I felt I might as well post it. This story actually had chapters done, rather than left half-way. I've only written the two chapters that you've just read, and I doubt I'll be writing any more (Who knows, I might actually come back to it one day but as of right now, I won't be).**

 **If you enjoyed these two chapters, I'm glad! Sadly, it's been a while since I've had any inspiration with Digimon (but I haven't watched Digimon tri yet, so maybe I'll get something from that), so that's about it.**

 **Cheers and Happy Holidays,**

 **-LB**


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